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200-901 · topic practice

Software Development and Design practice questions

Practise Cisco DevNet Associate 200-901 Software Development and Design practice questions — original exam-style scenarios with answer choices, explanations, and analysis of common mistakes.

Courseiva uses original exam-style practice questions designed for learning and revision. The goal is to understand the concepts, recognise exam patterns, and improve through explanations — not memorise copied exam dumps.

Reviewed byJohnson Ajibi· MSc IT Security

20 questionsDomain: Software Development and Design

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What the exam tests

What to know about Software Development and Design

Software Development and Design questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.

How the topic appears in realistic exam-style scenarios.

Which detail in the question changes the correct answer.

How to eliminate plausible but wrong options.

How to connect the question back to the wider exam objective.

Watch out for

Common Software Development and Design exam traps

▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Practice set

Software Development and Design questions

20 questions · select your answer, then reveal the explanation

Question 1easymultiple choice

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

A developer is designing a REST API that will be used by multiple client applications. The API must support versioning to ensure backward compatibility. Which approach should the developer use to implement API versioning?

Trap 1: Use different HTTP methods for different versions

Incorrect: HTTP methods are not designed for versioning.

Trap 2: Pass the version as a query parameter, e.g., ?version=1

Incorrect: Query parameters can be cached and may cause issues with proxies.

Trap 3: Use a custom HTTP header to specify the version

Incorrect: Custom headers are less discoverable and may not be supported by all clients.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Embed the version in the URI, e.g., /v1/resource
Correct: URI versioning is straightforward and widely adopted.
B
Use different HTTP methods for different versions
Why wrong: Incorrect: HTTP methods are not designed for versioning.
C
Pass the version as a query parameter, e.g., ?version=1
Why wrong: Incorrect: Query parameters can be cached and may cause issues with proxies.
D
Use a custom HTTP header to specify the version
Why wrong: Incorrect: Custom headers are less discoverable and may not be supported by all clients.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 2mediummultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

A development team is implementing a microservices architecture. They need to ensure that services can discover each other dynamically without hardcoding IP addresses. Which technology should they use?

Trap 1: A centralized load balancer

Incorrect: Load balancers do not provide dynamic service discovery.

Trap 2: An API gateway

Incorrect: API gateways can use registries but are not the discovery mechanism themselves.

Trap 3: DNS-based service discovery

Incorrect: DNS is not dynamic enough for microservices.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
A centralized load balancer
Why wrong: Incorrect: Load balancers do not provide dynamic service discovery.
B
A service registry like Consul
Correct: Service registries enable dynamic discovery and health checks.
C
An API gateway
Why wrong: Incorrect: API gateways can use registries but are not the discovery mechanism themselves.
D
DNS-based service discovery
Why wrong: Incorrect: DNS is not dynamic enough for microservices.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 3hardmultiple choice

Study the full Python automation breakdown →

A developer is writing a Python script that uses the Cisco Meraki API to retrieve a list of networks for an organization. The API returns a JSON array. The developer wants to filter networks where the 'tags' field contains 'production'. Which code snippet correctly filters the results?

Trap 1: filtered = [net for net in networks if 'production' in…

Incorrect: Converting to string may cause false positives.

Trap 2: filtered = [net for net in networks if 'production' in…

Incorrect: 'tags' is already a list, not a comma-separated string.

Trap 3: filtered = [net for net in networks if any('production' in t for t…

Incorrect: This is unnecessarily complex; 'in' works directly on lists.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
filtered = [net for net in networks if 'production' in net['tags']]
Correct: 'tags' is a list, and 'in' works for list membership.
B
filtered = [net for net in networks if 'production' in str(net['tags'])]
Why wrong: Incorrect: Converting to string may cause false positives.
C
filtered = [net for net in networks if 'production' in net['tags'].split(',')]
Why wrong: Incorrect: 'tags' is already a list, not a comma-separated string.
D
filtered = [net for net in networks if any('production' in t for t in net['tags'])]
Why wrong: Incorrect: This is unnecessarily complex; 'in' works directly on lists.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 4easymultiple choice

Study the full Python automation breakdown →

A developer is writing a Python script that uses the Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) API to get the list of sites. The API returns a response with a 'response' key containing a list of sites. The developer wants to access the 'response' field from the JSON response. Which code snippet correctly extracts the list?

Trap 1: sites = list(response)

Incorrect: This would convert the dict keys to a list.

Trap 2: sites = response[0]

Incorrect: The response is a dict, not a list.

Trap 3: sites = response.get('response')

Incorrect: This returns the value, but it is still a list; however, the question asks for the correct extraction.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
sites = list(response)
Why wrong: Incorrect: This would convert the dict keys to a list.
B
sites = response['response']
Correct: Accessing the key 'response' returns the list.
C
sites = response[0]
Why wrong: Incorrect: The response is a dict, not a list.
D
sites = response.get('response')
Why wrong: Incorrect: This returns the value, but it is still a list; however, the question asks for the correct extraction.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 5mediummultiple choice

Read the full Ansible explanation →

A network automation engineer is using Ansible to manage Cisco IOS devices. The playbook includes a task that executes a 'show version' command and registers the output. The engineer then wants to parse the output to extract the IOS version. Which approach should be used?

Trap 1: Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and parse the output with…

Incorrect: While possible, 'ios_facts' is the recommended approach.

Trap 2: Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and the 'parse' option

Incorrect: The 'parse' option is not available in 'ios_command'.

Trap 3: Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_config' module to retrieve the version

Incorrect: 'ios_config' is for configuration, not show commands.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and parse the output with regex
Why wrong: Incorrect: While possible, 'ios_facts' is the recommended approach.
B
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_command' module and the 'parse' option
Why wrong: Incorrect: The 'parse' option is not available in 'ios_command'.
C
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_config' module to retrieve the version
Why wrong: Incorrect: 'ios_config' is for configuration, not show commands.
D
Use the 'cisco.ios.ios_facts' module to get structured facts
Correct: 'ios_facts' returns structured data including the IOS version.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 6hardmultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

A developer is using the Cisco Webex API to create a room and add members. The API requires an access token with the appropriate scopes. The developer receives a 401 Unauthorized error when trying to create a room. What is the most likely cause?

Trap 1: The access token has the 'spark:memberships_write' scope but not…

Incorrect: While lacking room write scope is an issue, the correct answer is C.

Trap 2: The access token is not being sent in the Authorization header

Incorrect: This would also cause 401, but the question implies the token is present.

Trap 3: The access token has expired

Incorrect: Expired tokens typically return 401, but the scope issue is more specific.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
The access token only has the 'spark:rooms_read' scope
Correct: The write scope is required for creating rooms.
B
The access token has the 'spark:memberships_write' scope but not 'spark:rooms_write'
Why wrong: Incorrect: While lacking room write scope is an issue, the correct answer is C.
C
The access token is not being sent in the Authorization header
Why wrong: Incorrect: This would also cause 401, but the question implies the token is present.
D
The access token has expired
Why wrong: Incorrect: Expired tokens typically return 401, but the scope issue is more specific.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 7easymultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

A developer is working with a REST API that uses HTTP Basic Authentication. The developer needs to send a request with the username 'admin' and password 'secret'. Which HTTP header should be set?

Trap 1: Authorization: Basic admin:secret

Incorrect: The credentials must be base64-encoded.

Trap 2: Authorization: YWRtaW46c2VjcmV0

Incorrect: The 'Basic' keyword is missing.

Trap 3: Authorization: Bearer YWRtaW46c2VjcmV0

Incorrect: Bearer is for token-based auth.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Authorization: Basic admin:secret
Why wrong: Incorrect: The credentials must be base64-encoded.
B
Authorization: YWRtaW46c2VjcmV0
Why wrong: Incorrect: The 'Basic' keyword is missing.
C
Authorization: Basic YWRtaW46c2VjcmV0
Correct: This is the standard format for Basic Auth.
D
Authorization: Bearer YWRtaW46c2VjcmV0
Why wrong: Incorrect: Bearer is for token-based auth.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 8mediummultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

A developer is using Git for source control. They have made changes to a file and want to temporarily save the changes without committing, then work on a different branch. Which Git command should they use?

Trap 1: git checkout other-branch

Incorrect: This would fail if there are uncommitted changes.

Trap 2: git commit -m 'temp'

Incorrect: This creates a commit, which is not temporary.

Trap 3: git reset --hard

Incorrect: This discards changes permanently.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
git checkout other-branch
Why wrong: Incorrect: This would fail if there are uncommitted changes.
B
git commit -m 'temp'
Why wrong: Incorrect: This creates a commit, which is not temporary.
C
git reset --hard
Why wrong: Incorrect: This discards changes permanently.
D
git stash
Correct: Stashing saves changes for later use.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 9mediummulti select

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

Which TWO statements about REST API design best practices are true? (Choose two.)

Trap 1: Avoid API versioning to keep the API simple

Incorrect: Versioning is important for evolution.

Trap 2: Include the HTTP method in the URI path, e.g., /getDevices

Incorrect: The HTTP method should be used via the verb, not the path.

Trap 3: Always use file-based transfer for large payloads

Incorrect: REST can handle large payloads via streaming or chunking.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Avoid API versioning to keep the API simple
Why wrong: Incorrect: Versioning is important for evolution.
B
Include the HTTP method in the URI path, e.g., /getDevices
Why wrong: Incorrect: The HTTP method should be used via the verb, not the path.
C
Always use file-based transfer for large payloads
Why wrong: Incorrect: REST can handle large payloads via streaming or chunking.
D
Use nouns for resource endpoints, e.g., /devices instead of /getDevices
Correct: Nouns represent resources.
E
Use HTTP methods appropriately: GET for retrieval, POST for creation, etc.
Correct: This aligns with REST principles.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 10hardmulti select

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

Which THREE of the following are common design patterns for microservices? (Choose three.)

Trap 1: Chain of Responsibility

Incorrect: This is a behavioral pattern, not specific to microservices.

Trap 2: Singleton

Incorrect: Singleton is a general OOP pattern.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Chain of Responsibility
Why wrong: Incorrect: This is a behavioral pattern, not specific to microservices.
B
Circuit Breaker
Correct: Circuit Breaker is used for fault tolerance.
C
Singleton
Why wrong: Incorrect: Singleton is a general OOP pattern.
D
Service Registry
Correct: Service Registry is used for service discovery.
E
API Gateway
Correct: API Gateway is a common microservices pattern.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 11easymultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

Which HTTP method is considered both safe and idempotent?

Trap 1: POST

Incorrect: POST is neither safe nor idempotent.

Trap 2: PUT

Incorrect: PUT is idempotent but not safe.

Trap 3: PATCH

Incorrect: PATCH may not be idempotent.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
POST
Why wrong: Incorrect: POST is neither safe nor idempotent.
B
PUT
Why wrong: Incorrect: PUT is idempotent but not safe.
C
PATCH
Why wrong: Incorrect: PATCH may not be idempotent.
D
GET
Correct: GET is safe and idempotent.
E
DELETE
Why wrong: Incorrect: DELETE is idempotent but not safe.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 12hardmultiple choice

Read the full Ansible explanation →

A large enterprise is migrating to a DevOps model and needs to automate the provisioning of network devices. The team has chosen Ansible for configuration management and is using a Git repository for version control. The network includes Cisco IOS routers, Catalyst switches running IOS-XE, and ASA firewalls. The team has written Ansible playbooks for each device type. The goal is to have a CI/CD pipeline that automatically deploys configuration changes to the production network after the changes are merged into the main branch. However, during a recent deployment, a misconfiguration was pushed to a core router, causing a 10-minute outage. The root cause was that the playbook that was executed was not the correct one for that device model. The team wants to implement a mechanism to prevent similar incidents. Which approach should the team adopt?

Trap 1: Require all changes to be approved by a change advisory board…

Incorrect: Manual approval does not prevent execution of wrong playbook.

Trap 2: Require two-person peer review for all playbook changes

Incorrect: Peer review may not catch all errors.

Trap 3: Use a pre-commit hook that checks the playbook syntax and device…

Incorrect: Pre-commit hooks cannot test actual device behavior.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Implement a CI/CD pipeline that runs playbooks against a staging environment with similar devices, and only deploy to production after successful validation
Correct: Automated testing in staging catches misconfigurations.
B
Require all changes to be approved by a change advisory board before merging
Why wrong: Incorrect: Manual approval does not prevent execution of wrong playbook.
C
Require two-person peer review for all playbook changes
Why wrong: Incorrect: Peer review may not catch all errors.
D
Use a pre-commit hook that checks the playbook syntax and device compatibility
Why wrong: Incorrect: Pre-commit hooks cannot test actual device behavior.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 13mediummultiple choice

Study the full Python automation breakdown →

A network engineer is developing a Python script to automate the collection of interface statistics from multiple Cisco Catalyst switches using NETCONF. The engineer uses the 'ncclient' library to connect to each switch. The script works for most switches, but for one switch, the connection consistently fails with an authentication error. The engineer has verified that the username and password are correct and that the switch has NETCONF enabled. The engineer suspects the issue might be related to SSH host key checking. The engineer wants to modify the script to bypass host key checking for this specific switch. Which approach should the engineer use?

Trap 1: Disable SSH key-based authentication by setting…

Incorrect: This disables key auth, not host key checking.

Trap 2: Use the 'allow_agent' parameter set to False

Incorrect: This disables the SSH agent, not host key checking.

Trap 3: Set the 'known_hosts' parameter to an empty file in the connect…

Incorrect: ncclient does not have a 'known_hosts' parameter.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Set the 'hostkey_verify' parameter to False in the connect method
Correct: This disables host key verification.
B
Disable SSH key-based authentication by setting 'look_for_keys=False'
Why wrong: Incorrect: This disables key auth, not host key checking.
C
Use the 'allow_agent' parameter set to False
Why wrong: Incorrect: This disables the SSH agent, not host key checking.
D
Set the 'known_hosts' parameter to an empty file in the connect method
Why wrong: Incorrect: ncclient does not have a 'known_hosts' parameter.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 14mediummultiple choice

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

A company uses a CI/CD pipeline to deploy network configurations. The pipeline includes a stage that runs automated tests against a simulated network environment. Which testing strategy does this represent?

Trap 1: Regression testing

Regression testing ensures that new changes do not adversely affect existing functionality, but the scenario is about testing in a simulated environment before deployment.

Trap 2: Unit testing

Unit testing tests individual functions or modules, not integrated configurations in a simulated environment.

Trap 3: Smoke testing

Smoke testing is a preliminary test to check basic functionality, not a full test against a simulated environment.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
Regression testing
Why wrong: Regression testing ensures that new changes do not adversely affect existing functionality, but the scenario is about testing in a simulated environment before deployment.
B
Unit testing
Why wrong: Unit testing tests individual functions or modules, not integrated configurations in a simulated environment.
C
Integration testing
Integration testing validates the interaction between components in a simulated or staging environment.
D
Smoke testing
Why wrong: Smoke testing is a preliminary test to check basic functionality, not a full test against a simulated environment.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 15hardmulti select

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

Which TWO statements about REST API design best practices are correct?

Trap 1: API versioning should be implemented using query parameters only

Versioning via query parameters is uncommon; path or header versioning is preferred.

Trap 2: HTTP PUT method should be used for partial updates to a resource

PUT is for full replacement; PATCH is for partial updates.

Trap 3: Responses should return only HTTP status codes without a body

Responses typically include a body with details or representation of the resource.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
API versioning should be implemented using query parameters only
Why wrong: Versioning via query parameters is uncommon; path or header versioning is preferred.
B
HTTP PUT method should be used for partial updates to a resource
Why wrong: PUT is for full replacement; PATCH is for partial updates.
C
Resources should be represented using nouns in the URI
Using nouns for resources (e.g., /devices) is a REST best practice.
D
Responses should return only HTTP status codes without a body
Why wrong: Responses typically include a body with details or representation of the resource.
E
HTTP verbs should describe the action performed on the resource
Verbs like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE define the action.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 16easymultiple choice

Read the full REST/YANG explanation →

Refer to the exhibit. An engineer uses NETCONF to configure an interface. After applying this configuration, the interface is administratively up. However, the interface does not pass traffic. What is the most likely cause?

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

{
  "ietf-interfaces:interface": {
    "name": "GigabitEthernet0/1",
    "description": "Configured via NETCONF",
    "type": "iana-if-type:ethernetCsmacd",
    "enabled": true,
    "ietf-ip:ipv4": {
      "address": [
        {
          "ip": "192.0.2.1",
          "netmask": "255.255.255.0"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Trap 1: The interface type is misspelled

The type is valid.

Trap 2: The 'enabled' field should be a string instead of a boolean

Boolean is correct for JSON encoding of YANG boolean.

Trap 3: The interface name is invalid

The name is valid.

Study all Software Development and Design common traps →

A
The interface type is misspelled
Why wrong: The type is valid.
B
The 'enabled' field should be a string instead of a boolean
Why wrong: Boolean is correct for JSON encoding of YANG boolean.
C
The IP address configuration uses 'netmask' instead of 'prefix-length'
The ietf-ip model requires prefix-length, not netmask.
D
The interface name is invalid
Why wrong: The name is valid.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Question 17mediumdrag order

Review the full routing breakdown →

Drag and drop the steps to configure a static route on a Cisco IOS router into the correct order.

Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.

Steps

Order

1Step 1

2Step 2

3Step 3

4Step 4

5Step 5

Question 18mediumdrag order

Study the full Python automation breakdown →

Drag and drop the steps to deploy a Python script to a Cisco device via RESTCONF into the correct order.

Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.

Steps

Order

1Step 1

2Step 2

3Step 3

4Step 4

5Step 5

Question 19mediummatching

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

Match each Cisco DevNet Associate exam topic to its description.

Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.

Concepts

Matches

Covers version control, testing, and CI/CD pipelines

Focuses on REST APIs, authentication, and API consumption

Includes configuration management, infrastructure as code, and network automation

Covers OSI model, TCP/IP, routing, switching, and network topologies

Involves containerization, cloud deployment, and security best practices

Question 20mediummatching

Read the full Software Development and Design explanation →

Match each HTTP status code to its meaning.

Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.

Concepts

Matches

Created

Unauthorized

Forbidden

Not Found

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Frequently asked questions

What does the 200-901 exam test about Software Development and Design?: Software Development and Design questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.
How should I use these practice questions?: Select your answer before revealing the explanation. Then read why each option is right or wrong — this active recall approach builds retention far faster than re-reading notes.
Can I practise just Software Development and Design questions in a focused session?: Yes — the session launcher on this page draws every question from the Software Development and Design domain. Use a 10-question session first to gauge your baseline, then move to 20 or 30 once the weak spots are clear.
Where can I practise other 200-901 topics?: Use the topic links above to move to related areas, or go back to the 200-901 question bank to see all topics.
Are these real exam questions or dumps?: These are original practice questions written to test the same concepts the 200-901 exam covers. They are not copied from any real exam or dump site.

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Study resources

All 200-901 questions Software Development and Design domain overview 200-901 exam guide

Exam traps to avoid

▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Software Development and Design practice questions

What to know about Software Development and Design

Common Software Development and Design exam traps

Software Development and Design questions

A developer is designing a REST API that will be used by multiple client applications. The API must support versioning to ensure backward compatibility. Which approach should the developer use to implement API versioning?

A development team is implementing a microservices architecture. They need to ensure that services can discover each other dynamically without hardcoding IP addresses. Which technology should they use?

A developer is writing a Python script that uses the Cisco Meraki API to retrieve a list of networks for an organization. The API returns a JSON array. The developer wants to filter networks where the 'tags' field contains 'production'. Which code snippet correctly filters the results?

A network automation engineer is using Ansible to manage Cisco IOS devices. The playbook includes a task that executes a 'show version' command and registers the output. The engineer then wants to parse the output to extract the IOS version. Which approach should be used?

A developer is using the Cisco Webex API to create a room and add members. The API requires an access token with the appropriate scopes. The developer receives a 401 Unauthorized error when trying to create a room. What is the most likely cause?

A developer is working with a REST API that uses HTTP Basic Authentication. The developer needs to send a request with the username 'admin' and password 'secret'. Which HTTP header should be set?

A developer is using Git for source control. They have made changes to a file and want to temporarily save the changes without committing, then work on a different branch. Which Git command should they use?

Which TWO statements about REST API design best practices are true? (Choose two.)

Which THREE of the following are common design patterns for microservices? (Choose three.)

Which HTTP method is considered both safe and idempotent?

A company uses a CI/CD pipeline to deploy network configurations. The pipeline includes a stage that runs automated tests against a simulated network environment. Which testing strategy does this represent?

Which TWO statements about REST API design best practices are correct?

Refer to the exhibit. An engineer uses NETCONF to configure an interface. After applying this configuration, the interface is administratively up. However, the interface does not pass traffic. What is the most likely cause?

Exhibit

Drag and drop the steps to configure a static route on a Cisco IOS router into the correct order.

Drag and drop the steps to deploy a Python script to a Cisco device via RESTCONF into the correct order.

Match each Cisco DevNet Associate exam topic to its description.

Match each HTTP status code to its meaning.

Track your progress over time

Start a Software Development and Design only practice session

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